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By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone today gave seven domestic violence organizations supplies for victims of domestic abuse who reside in local shelters.

The supplies were in gift baskets containing items such as toiletries, laundry supplies, baby clothes, diapers, formula and toys. These items are often in high demand at shelters, as victims often are forced to leave all of their belongings behind when they flee an abusive relationship, according to Leone's office.

Shelters that received gift baskets include REACH Beyond Domestic Violence in Waltham, Voices Against Violence in Framingham, Alternative House in Lowell, RESPOND in Somerville and Malden, Transition House in Cambridge, the Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project, and the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence.

The annual Domestic Violence Shelter Drive is an effort by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office to provide gift baskets to every domestic violence shelter in Middlesex County.

The drive was conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, with contributions collected by its staff.

“All too often we see the devastating effect that domestic violence has on victims and families across Middlesex County,” Leone said in a statement. “This is especially hard during the holiday season when families in shelters are without the comforts of home. We hope these donations can ease the burden victims’ face. Helping victims overcome the barriers against disclosure and ending the cycle of domestic violence remains a top priority for this office."

The Middlesex County is the largest county in Massachusetts and one of the largest counties in the country with 54 towns and cities and 26 colleges in urban, suburban, and rural areas, comprising over one quarter of the population of Massachusetts. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office has offices throughout the county, including in communities such as Ayer, Cambridge, Concord, Framingham, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Natick, Newton, Somerville, Waltham and Woburn.